


There's No Place Like the Beach

by DarkPoisonousLove



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-30 09:56:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19850755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkPoisonousLove/pseuds/DarkPoisonousLove
Summary: The sea has always been a part of Wish Killian's life and he passed his love for it on to Alice. And, of course, hand in hand with that comes a love for the beach. My entries for Knight Rook: a History - Beach over on tumblr. Knight Rook, Curious Archer, some Zelena and appearances from the rest of the Mills family.





	1. Day 1 - Tower Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice is fantasizing about her first time at the beach while she’s waiting for her papa to come back and free her from the tower. Sort of a missing scene from 7x13 “Knightfall”.

Alice was enjoying the feeling of the sand against her skin. She was playing with it, pouring it from one hand into the other while waiting for her papa to come back. It was a good way to pass the time for it kept her mind occupied, helping her create fantasies of what freedom would feel like. She couldn’t wait for her papa to come back and free her from her prison so that he could finally take her to the beach and show her all the wonders of the world that lay outside her little tower. He’d promised he’d get her out and she trusted him unconditionally.

That was why she allowed herself to get carried away in her daydream to a sunny beach where the sand was so hot it burned your feet when you stepped on it. She imagined herself leaving footsteps in it where it was wt from the water even though they were soon erased by the waves that hit the shore. She could hear the sound of the sea. She’d heard the song of the waves in that shell her papa had brought her way back when she’d been but a toddler–it was one of her most favorite possessions. And she could practically feel the cool water on her feet and the refreshing breeze on her face.

She couldn’t wait for her papa to take her to the seashore so that she could look for seashells in the sand and make herself a necklace from them. She was also thrilled by the prospect of watching crabs walking on the beach–she’d read that they had a peculiar pattern of moving–and hear the screams of the seagulls, although her papa claimed that that last part was not all that pleasant, but she didn’t care. She wanted to experience it all.

And in the water she knew she could find seaweeds and jellyfish, and–if she was really lucky–she could even see a starfish. She’d seen illustrations of them in one of the books her papa had brought her and she’d fallen in love with them right away. And last but not least, she was looking forward to learning how to swim. How could she be a real pirate’s daughter if she didn’t know that? Her first job would be to get her papa to teach her. And if she could hold her breath for long enough, maybe she’d be able to dive deep enough into the sea to see a mermaid.

The sand fell through her fingers, scattering across the floor of the tower, but it didn’t matter because her papa would return soon and get her out of her prison. And she’d finally go see the sea for herself.


	2. Day 2 - Separation Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice visits the sea for the first time after she escapes from the tower.

Alice was standing at the port, watching all the massive ships being gently rocked by the waves. She knew it was dangerous for her to be there because there was a high chance that her papa was also around there somewhere and she still couldn’t get close to him without causing him pain. She still hadn’t found a cure for the poison in his heart. To be fair, she still hadn’t done much at all besides finding new clothes and then heading for the seaside. She had to see it. She had to.

The port was brewing with life and was so loud and packed with people that it had quickly become overwhelming for her. She wanted to spend all her time around people, having lived all her life in isolation, but she wasn’t used to it and the loud noise and endless faces had quickly become too much for her long deprived senses. So she’d found a quiet place at the beach from where she could enjoy the sea without being bothered by the liveliness of the port.

She happily breathed in, filling her lungs with the salty sea air, and exhaled slowly, enjoying the change from the dry, stuffy air of the tower. The sand was tickling her bare feet–she’d purposefully taken off her shoes–causing a smile to bloom on her face. The feeling was even better than that of the sand her papa had brought her back in the tower.

It wasn’t a particularly sunny and warm day–thick clouds covered the sky and blocked the sun from view–but she still lifted up her skirt and walked into the water, eager to feel it. She squealed when her skin made contact with the cold waves but she couldn’t be happier. She even walked in deeper, abandoning all care about her clothes getting wet and ignoring the shivers running up her spine. She wanted to experience everything that the seashore had to offer. It was as if the sea was calling out to her, and the sight of the ships awoke a longing inside her, a desire to sail the ocean along with her papa.

She looked down but before she could get sad, something caught her eye in the clear water. She bent down to see better and her suspicions were confirmed. Just a few inches away from her feet lay a starfish. Alice watched it for a while but resisted the urge to reach down into the water and touch it. She didn’t want to disturb it. She certainly wouldn’t want to be randomly poked by someone who was hundreds of times her size. The sight of the starfish did, however, fill her heart with hope that one day her papa would get to see his starfish, too.


	3. Day 3 - New Quests, New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice and Robin are getting ready for their day at the beach. Robin gets Alice acquainted with some of the things from our world that make the whole beach experience that much more pleasant.

Alice picked up the two triangles of clothing that were attached together, studying them. “So you’re saying this is…”

“A swimsuit,” Robin repeated. “Well, one part of it at least,” she added, the corners of her mouth twitching up at the puzzled look on her girlfriend’s face.

“Is it magical or…” Alice trailed off, trying to figure out how the bizarre thing was supposed to work.

Robin chuckled. “No. It’s just something you put on when you want to go swimming so that you don’t get your clothes wet,” she explained. “Here, let me show you how to put it on.” She stood up and grabbed the article of clothing from Alice’s hands. “It goes over your breasts like this,” she showed her how it was supposed to look on her.

“Well, it certainly doesn’t cover much.” Alice narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion. “Is this just a plot to see me naked?” she asked pretending to be shocked by the possibility.

“No, that’s just a bonus,” Robin said smugly, earning a glare from her girlfriend. “The plan is to have the perfect beach day.” She smiled before leaning in to kiss Alice, who gladly accepted the affection.

“All right, Robin Hood,” Alice said, looking at her with feigned distrust that quickly gave way to genuine excitement. “I believe you. But you’ll have to help me put these on,” she said as she snatched the swimsuit–well, one part of it at at least–from Robin.

“Hey! The green one’s for me,” Robin started protesting but her words fell on deaf ears.

“Finders keepers.” Alice flashed her a smile.

“Oh, I’ll remember that,” Robin said, playing offended. Her arms wrapped around Alice’s waist and she pulled her closer. “Look what I found,” she said seductively as she leaned down to kiss her girlfriend again but the latter’s giggling halted her advances. “Oh, I’m sorry, what’s so funny?” she asked as she raised a brow, keeping up the charade.

“You are, Nobin,” Alice said, but before Robin could start protesting again, she pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Robin squealed into it, breaking character, but readily returned it.

“Now then,” Alice said when they parted, a little out of breath, “help me put this thing on because we’ll never make it to the beach if we go on like that.”

Robin agreed, though she kept pouting about the swimsuits, claiming that the green one was for her and the blue one was for Alice. Alice only managed to shut her up by telling her how good the blue one looked on her and kissing her until she didn’t have enough breath left to keep arguing.

When the swimsuit crisis was finally handled, Robin went on to show Alice all the other things Zelena had conjured with her magic for their day at the beach. She’d given them sundresses that they could put on over their swimsuits. Alice loved the dress that was so much lighter than the clothes she was used to wearing. However, Robin first made sure to cover them both in sunscreen which Zelena had provided because she’d been afraid they’d get sunburn otherwise. She’d also gotten them beach towels and an umbrella, and Alice was once again amazed by how caring and thoughtful Zelena was. She was like the mother Alice had never had.

Robin also told her that the box she was carrying was a cooler. It was supposed to keep everything in it cold. And currently, it was stocked with iced tea that Zelena had prepared herself and ice cream which Alice couldn’t wait to taste. Robin had told her it was awesome and also perfect for the hot summer days.

Equipped with everything they could possibly need, they headed for the beach for an unforgettable day under the hot sun rays. It was everything Alice had imagined it to be and even more in Robin’s company. And at the end of the day, the two watched the sun set over their perfect beach date, painting the sky in the most magical colors Alice had ever seen.


	4. Day 4 - Hyperion Hysteria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tilly gets Rogers to go with her to the beach and he finally has his dream to see the sea come true. However, in Tilly’s company it is bound to turn into more than he bargained for.

There he was, at the beach, walking alongside Tilly, his shoes sinking in the sand. He’d given up hope of ever seeing the ocean up close. It was just too painful, and he’d resigned to the fact that it would never happen. Until a few hours ago when Tilly had begged him to go with her for a stroll along the beach. He’d protested that the sky was covered by thick clouds and it would probably start raining soon, but she’d been adamant about it and he’d finally given in.

He had to admit he was glad she’d convinced him to go with her. His lifelong dream had finally come true. Thanks to Tilly. He thought about what he’d said to Eloise – that he didn’t have a special someone to go see the ocean with. But that had changed. Tilly was a very special girl, and she was very special to him. She’d revived his dream and had helped him make it come true, all within a single afternoon. Ever since she was around, his life had filled with meaning.

He looked at her. She was so caught up in telling him all about her latest date with Margot that she barely even stopped to take a breath. She was gesticulating excitedly and her eyes shone with love every time she mentioned Margot. She was happy. And he was happy.

His intention never was to stop listening but something caught his eye. There was something purple lying in the sand a few feet ahead, and he quickly recognized it.

“Starfish,” he said, interrupting Tilly’s story.

“What?” she stopped and looked at him, completely lost. He’d never seen her look at him quite like that – so confused, and yet, with recognition in her eyes.

“It’s a starfish,” he repeated and nodded towards it.

The confusion cleared and Tilly followed his gaze, looking at the starfish. Her hand clasped at his forearm before she let go of him and ran the short distance to the starfish. She immediately ducked to look at it closely. “We have to get it back in the water,” she looked at him, slight panic written over her face.

He nodded as he came to stand next to her and put a hand on her shoulder to soothe her. “We will, Til, don’t worry.” He bent down and gently picked up the starfish with his prosthesis under Tilly’s watchful gaze. He walked closer to the water and tossed the starfish in the sea as carefully as he could. “There,” he said as he turned around to look at Tilly.

She smiled at him but her gaze quickly shifted to something else at his feet.

He followed it and saw the starfish being washed up on the shore by the high tide again. He went and picked it up again, repeating the operation. Only, this time he threw it further away, hoping that that way the tide wouldn’t interfere with their rescue mission.

Tilly came to stand next to him, waiting with baited breath. For her sake he hoped that it would work. She already looked upset by the first failure.

They seemed to be out of luck though, because the starfish turned up again.

“Oh, no,” Tilly cried as she spotted it before it had even reached the shore. “This is bad,” she muttered. “This is really bad.”

“Tilly, look at me,” he urged softly, drawing her attention away from the starfish that arrived at their feet. “It’s been a good day with the two of us walking along the beach, hasn’t it?”

She nodded but there were already tears gathering in her eyes. “Yeah, but-”

“We’ll make it a good day for the starfish too,” he said as he rubbed her arm. “We’ll get it back in the water.”

“How?” Tilly asked because it was obvious that the tide disagreed with their good intentions.

Her expression gave him the push he needed and he started taking his shoes off.

“What are you doing?” Tilly asked, puzzled by his actions.

“I’m getting that starfish home,” he said as he took off his socks. He then picked up the starfish, taking it in his right hand this time, hoping that that would allow him to throw it far enough. It was wet and felt like sandpaper against his skin, but he focused in getting it back in the water.

He walked into the ocean, shuddering at the coldness of the water, but he didn’t stop until it was up to his mid-thigh. Now he’d not only seen the sea, but had also been in it. It wasn’t how he’d imagined his day but with Tilly it never was, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Third time’s the charm,” he muttered under his breath and tossed the starfish as far away as he could, using all of his strength. He almost lost his balance and nearly fell face first into the water but he managed to keep himself upright somehow. “There.” He turned around and walked out of the water, shivering as his wet pants clung to his legs. That might have not been the best idea but the grateful smile on Tilly’s face made it all worth it.

“Thank you,” she said as he walked back to her.

“Happy to help, Til.” He returned her smile. “Let’s go home now,” he put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m freezing.”

“We should wait in case it gets thrown out again,” she said, turning towards the ocean.

“Don’t welcome it back, Tilly,” he said, a hint of exhaustion in his voice. They’d already had enough of an adventure with that starfish, and he had no idea what to do if it turned up again.

“You can go, but I’m staying,” Tilly said stubbornly–and she also sounded a bit offended, he noted–and turned her attention back on the water, taking a few steps closer to it and away from him.

“No, Tilly,” he looked down at his bare feet. They were covered in sand and he wouldn’t be able to put his shoes even if he wanted to. “I’m staying with you.” He also stepped forward, taking a spot at her side.

She didn’t say anything but the small frown left her face and she shifted slightly so that she was closer to him.

They watched the waves for a few minutes but there seemed to be no trace of the starfish and they both started to relax, getting more and more confident that their rescue operation had been successful.

Just as he was about to tell her they could go now, the familiar purple spot was spat out by the sea like unwanted garbage. He closed his eyes and sighed in disappointment. They’d failed again.

“What are we going to do now?” Tilly turned to look at him, her eyes wide as her hand was clutching the strap of her backpack fiercely. She was getting upset again.

“The tide is too strong. We’ll have to wait until it subsides.”

“But what if it dies until then?” Tilly asked, her voice a little louder. She was starting to panic and he had to do something.

He reached in his pocket for his phone. He would call the vet. He could if he knew the number which he didn’t. He didn’t have a pet, nor did his job lead him to the vet often. Not even once, in fact.

He was making a plan to find some plastic box or something in the car and fill it with water so that the starfish could stay in it while the sea calmed enough for them to return it when he heard a thud. He looked up to find Tilly’s backpack and jacket lying in the sand as she ran to the starfish. She picked it up and entered the water.

“Tilly,” he yelled after her.

“Don’t worry, I know how to swim,” she said as she walked in deeper.

“Tilly, no!” he yelled again as he ran towards her but it was too late.

She pushed herself off the sea floor and started swimming forward.

“Tilly, come back!” he yelled but she didn’t listen. Her words kept ringing in his head. I know how to swim. That only scared him further because if she didn’t know, she would’ve stayed at the shore where it was safe. The undercurrent of the tide was dangerous. It could suck her in and he wouldn’t be able to save her. He knew everything about the sea but his lack of experience with it anchored him at the shore where he could do nothing to help her.

He watched anxiously, praying to every god that would listen for her safe return. She really seemed to be a good swimmer, moving swiftly through the water. He was quite impressed and even proud although still very worried about her. She’d gotten quite far into the water already and showed no intentions of stopping yet.

Finally, after the longest agonizing seventeen seconds of his life, she stopped and tossed the starfish so far into the ocean that he could barely make out the splash it created when it fell into the water. She then headed back for the shore and was soon within reach.

He walked into the water again and grabbed her arm, just to make sure she was there and wouldn’t get another dangerous idea. “What were you thinking? You scared the bloody hell out of me,” he tried to keep from raising his voice as he practically dragged her out of the ocean.

“I had to make sure the starfish would stay in the water this time,” she said between deep inhales of air. She leaned on him exhausted by the fight with the strong current. “Now it will be fine.”

He didn’t ask how she knew that. It was better that way. She wouldn’t insist on staying up at the beach which was the last thing they needed. She was soaking wet and he needed to get her warm before she came down with pneumonia.

He grabbed her jacket and wrapped her in it. “Where did you learn to swim like that?” he asked as he picked up her backpack and hurried her towards the car. He was curious. She was a great swimmer.

“I had a lot of time on my hands and the beach was free so I spent many days mastering swimming. I’ve always loved the ocean,” she shrugged, “and it was the perfect way to fill my days. The only downside was that I always got hungry like a cat after that,” she said sadly, remembering the old days when she’d had to steal to eat.

“Don’t you mean like a wolf?”

“Have you seen a cat eat?” she gave him a meaningful look. “Your shoes,” she reminded and he looked back to see they’d just passed by them. “Especially big cats,” she added as he went back to get his shoes, though they weren’t his highest priority right now.

He couldn’t argue with her on that last one. “Well, you can have all the orange marmalade sandwiches you want when we get home,” he said as he caught up with her. “And a big cup of hot tea to warm you up.”

Tilly smiled at him. “Thank you.”

He nodded even though he was the one who had to thank her. She brightened his life with her mere presence and he couldn’t imagine what he would do without her.


	5. Day 5 - Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice has a beach day with her fiance and the rest of her extended family.

Alice yelped when Robin wrapped her arms around her middle and picked her up, walking them backwards into the water.

“Robin, let go of me!” she cried out, mostly scared about Robin’s own well-being as she was straining herself to support her weight, but also worried about what other shenanigans Robin had in mind. She’d already pranked Ella and Henry by showering them with Lucy’s water gun. Zelena had kindly refrained from saying ‘I told you so’ and had, instead, settled for a pointed look. She’d warned them that Robin would pull that kind of stunt and had advised them that they left the water gun at home and watched their backs but they’d ignored her and had payed the price. And it looked like Alice was next on the list.

“No way. You’re my own very special treasure, and now that I’ve found you, I’m not letting you go,” Robin said in her ear and Alice could feel the mirth in her voice. It was rather sweet of her but Alice still wanted to put an end to it.

“Robin!” she scolded and started struggling to free herself but instead, caused Robin to lose her balance and they both fell in the water with a big splash. That caused Robin to release her grip on Alice and she emerged from the sea, finally free and spitting out water. “Was that really necessary?” she turned to look at Robin who also showed her head above the water and rubbed her eyes.

“You started fidgeting. I wouldn’t have fallen otherwise,” she protested as she squeezed and twisted her braid to drain the water from it. The action was totally pointless since her hair would most certainly get wet again–probably in the next minute or so–but she did it anyway.

“So this is my fault?” Alice asked with annoyance as she slicked her wet hair back to get it out of her face. “You’re intolerable today.” It was as if Robin had set out to make the day a little bit of hell for the rest of them.

“For a pirate’s daughter you really don’t seem that fond of water,” Robin teased as she made a splash with her hand, sending water at Alice’s direction.

It was the gesture itself that irritated Alice further rather than the feeling of the water drops on her skin. She was already soaked to the bones thanks to Robin. “You seem to enjoy it enough for the both of us,” she said and turned her back to Robin.

“Come on, Alice! It was for fun!” Robin called after her as she headed for the shore.

“Well, you’re the only one who’s having any fun so you can carry on on your own,” Alice said without stopping. She walked out of the water and grabbed a beach towel to dry herself off.

“Hey, starfish,” her papa called out, “why don’t you come join the sandcastle-making process?”

She looked at where Lucy, Regina and her papa had already started building their architectural wonder. It didn’t take more than that for her to make up her mind. It looked fun and it would be her first time building a sandcastle with her papa.

She threw the towel over her shoulders and joined them. She sat down in the sand next to her papa and let Lucy assign her a task. It was her castle after all so she called the shots and they all followed her instructions.

“Just tell us if you, guys, need help,” Henry said from where he and Ella were enjoying their ice cold drinks and each other’s company.

“Everything’s under control,” Regina assured him. Well, that was almost true except for the fact that one of the walls wasn’t holding up all that well.

“Hey, Luce,” Ella called, “your juice is gonna vaporize in this heat. Come drink it.”

Lucy sighed but got up and ran to her parents.

That gave Alice the opportunity to use her magic and discreetly fix the wall that looked ready to collapse. She might not have been as sneaky as she’d thought though, because Regina smirked at her but didn’t say anything when Lucy returned and they continued with their work.

Alice had almost forgotten about the accident with Robin earlier when she heard her fiance’s voice. She turned around to see what trouble Robin was cooking up this time.

“Hey, mom,” Robin yelled from where she was standing in the water, “the water’s perfect.” She turned around and, as soon as Alice saw the bucket in her hands, she knew Robin would get in trouble. “You should get in,” she said as she, ironically, got out of the sea and headed towards her mother with the full bucket in her hands, her intentions clear as day.

“No, thanks. I’d like to stay dry,” Zelena, who was lounging on a towel and working for her tan, said. It was cheeky of her to turn her back on Robin when she’d been the one to warn them all about Robin’s pranks.

“Too bad,” Robin said and swung the bucket forward, emptying its contents on her mom. The shriek that followed was Robin’s though. “Hey!” she shouted when she found herself buried to the neck in the sand.

“You brought this on yourself,” Zelena said, unmoved by Robin’s protests, as she sat up and used her magic to dry herself off, thus rendering all of Robin’s efforts pointless.

“Alice,” Robin turned to her with a pleading look. “Get me out of here, please.”

“I don’t think I want to come in the middle of that,” Alice said as she shrugged apologetically. She was in no way scared of Zelena, but rather agreed with her. Robin deserved payback for everything she’d done that day.

“Smart girl,” Zelena said as she winked at her conspiratorially.

“Alice! Mom!” Robin whined. “Get me out of here. It’s so hot.”

“I’ll get you out, Robin,” Alice’s papa stood up, “but it will take some time.”

“I can poof you out of there if you promise to behave,” Regina suggested.

“Yes, please. I won’t cause any more trouble, I promise,” Robin said and got out in no time. She kept her promise, too.

For the rest of the day she didn’t stir any more trouble. Instead, she and Alice played beach volleyball against Henry and Ella while Regina and Lucy made necklaces out of the shells Alice’s papa had gathered for them, and he and Zelena played chess in the shade of the umbrella.

They had a great time and Alice was so happy she could share the beach and all the experiences it provided not only with her papa, but also with the rest of her newly found family.


End file.
